1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recognition apparatus, and in particular to an improved image recognition apparatus which is capable of mounting a non-linear filter and convolution functions for an image enhancement and a template matching function for a pattern recognition into one chip, thus more effectively interfacing with a peripheral component interconnection (PCI) bus.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Generally, when recognizing an object by using an image recognition apparatus, an edge portion extraction of an object, a comparison between the thusly extracted portion and a reference pattern, and an image correction and recovery are very important factors. In order to obtain the above-described factors, a numerous operation and high computation efficiency with respect to the obtained image data are needed.
Therefore, as methods for performing the above-described high speed operations, there are known a first method of processing the high speed operation by using an operational program and a high speed processor, and a second method of processing the same by using an image recognition circuit.
The first method has an advantage in that the circuit configuration may be made simpler, but the method needs an expensive high speed processor. In addition, the second method has an advantages in that it is possible to process data at high speed by using a cheap circuit, but has a complicated configuration.
The second method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,380. The circuit of the same includes a rank value filter unit for dividing a screen into a plurality of pixel groups, separating the rank of the screen by the pixels in accordance with brightness and darkness of the image. With the construction, a multiplication, addition, or subtraction is performed with respect to the previous data and current data by the pixels, so that the average value between two operations is computed, and then the image is corrected, so that it is possible to enhance the image resolution through a point operation.
However, the conventional image recognition apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,380 has problems in that the conventional image recognition apparatus does not have an improved image recognition technique such as a function of detecting an edge of a desired object, a function of detecting the size of the detected edge and direction of the same, and a function of judging the characteristic of an object by using an object data among images which were detected based on the template of a memorized object, and the size and direction of the same. Therefore, the conventional image recognition is not applicable to an apparatus for checking defects of a printed circuit board (PCB) and an apparatus for detecting a vehicle which violates a traffic rule and implementing the same.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,380 includes a camera, an analog/digital conversion unit for converting an analog image signal into a digital image signal, a unit for separating a synchronous signal, and an input unit for processing an input signal. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,380 includes units for enhancing and recovering an image receiving signal disposed in the entire circuit, so that the conventional art disadvantageously needs a large capacity of memory for storing a large amount of image data which are generated and processed by each unit.
Moreover, since U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,380 discloses only a rank value filtering technique and a point operation technique, it is impossible to obtain a desired image resolution improvement.